Identifying critical HR competencies for post-pandemic HR professionals
Dhanpat, Nelesh · Chabalala, Thembhani · Maluleke, Mortions Hlonipho · Matlou, Sanele · Mokoena, Teboho · Ramatlo, Oarabile
International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy · 2025 · Vol. / Issue · 186-198
Publication metrics
External links open provider records or DOI searches. Provider counts are not combined. Mendeley readership measures saves, not citations.
Dimensions
Live provider badge. If unavailable, use the Dimensions link above.
Observed Not yet retrieved
OpenAlex and Mendeley observations refresh on article visits, at most once per 24 hours. Unavailable data is not zero. Google Scholar opens a DOI search.
Citations received by this article, grouped by the year of the citing work. Crossref and OpenAlex lifetime totals remain separate in Publication metrics.
Annual citation history is not available for this article yet. No annual values have been assumed to be zero.
Annual history last updated: not yet retrieved. The history is fetched with OpenAlex metrics on eligible article visits and during the scheduled OpenAlex refresh.
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented changes to the workplace, forcing organisations to adapt quickly to remote work, flexible arrangements, and digitalisation. Human Resource (HR) professionals played a significant role in managing these transitions, ensuring employee well-being, and implementing new workplace policies and procedures. However, there is scant research on the competencies required by HR professionals to navigate the post-pandemic work environment successfully. This study aims to identify the critical HR competencies needed for HR professionals to thrive in the post-pandemic era. To address the research objective, a qualitative research approach was employed, which involved semi-structured interviews conducted online and face-to-face with nine HR professionals who participated in the study. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings provide insights for HR professionals and organisations to develop effective HR practices and successfully support the transition to the post-pandemic work environment. Six themes emerged from the study: the Role of HR in the Post-Pandemic Work Environment, HR Competencies in the Post-Pandemic Work Environment, the Evolution of Critical HR Competencies in the Post-Pandemic Era, Challenges Faced by HR Professionals, Future-Proofing HR Competencies and Roles, and Professional Development. Given the limited existing studies on HR competencies in the post-pandemic period, further research is recommended in this area.
Keywords: {'name': 'Covid-19, Remote Work (WFH), Digitalisation, HR Professionals, Post-Pandemic Era, HR Competencies'}
Authors & affiliations
Dhanpat, Nelesh
Affiliation not supplied
Chabalala, Thembhani
Affiliation not supplied
Maluleke, Mortions Hlonipho
Affiliation not supplied
Matlou, Sanele
Affiliation not supplied
Mokoena, Teboho
Affiliation not supplied
Ramatlo, Oarabile
Affiliation not supplied
Deposited references
Supplied references, not a list of publications citing this article.
No reference list supplied.